Can AI save you money on your next grocery bill?

Noovo Info's Béatrice Roy-Brunet wanted to find out if ChatGPT could help her meal-plan while saving money.

Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere these days and with just a few clicks, it can solve some of the most complex questions.

But can it save you money on your grocery run?

That’s what Noovo Info reporter Béatrice Roy-Brunet set to find out in a recent experiment with ChatGPT, the popular generative AI chatbot from OpenAI.

With the cost of food still high, she wanted to see if she could reduce her grocery bill with the help of AI.

“We’re two people at home. For six meals, it’s about $200 for the whole week [in groceries]. So, I asked ChatGPT, could you do it for, like, $150?” she told CTV News, admitting this was the first time she had ever used an AI chatbot.

• Read Béatrice Roy-Brunet’s full report

She asked the AI program to make a detailed grocery list for the week that includes six dinners for two people and also includes lunches for a total of $150. Within seconds, she was given a few recipes like a chicken and vegetable burrito, a lentil soup, quinoa salad with veggies, and a vegetarian chili.

She then asked ChatGPT to give her the same grocery list and meal plans for $100, to save even more money.

Here is the suggested grocery list:

Fresh products:

• Fresh spinach (1 bunch): $2.50

• Tomatoes (4 medium): $3.00

• Red pepper (1): $1.50

• Onion (2): $1.00

• Zucchini (2): $2.50

• Cucumber (1): $1.25

• Avocado (2): $3.00

• Apples (3): $3.00

• Bananas (3): $2.00

• Garlic (1 clove): $0.75

• Lemon (1): $0.50

Meats & Proteins:

• Chicken breasts (2 pieces, approximately 400g): $7.00

• Eggs (1 dozen): $3.50

• Plain yogurt (500g): $3.00

• Dried lentils (250g): $2.00

• Quinoa (250g): $3.00

Cereals & Starches:

• Pasta (spaghetti or penne) (500g): $1.50

• Basmati rice (500g): $2.00

• Oat flakes (500g): $2.00

• Tortillas (package of 6): $2.50

Canned & Dry Products:

• Crushed tomatoes (2 cans of 400g): $3.00

• Canned red beans (1 can of 400g): $1.25

• Canned corn (1 can of 340g): $1.25

• Tomato sauce (small bottle): $1.50

• Honey (250g): $2.50

Spices & Condiments:

• Olive oil (500ml): $4.00

• Salt (250g): $0.50

• Pepper (100g): $1.00

• Paprika (50g): $1.50

• Cumin (50g): $1.50

• Balsamic vinegar (250ml): $2.50

• Soy sauce (250ml): $2.50

Others :

• Wholewheat bread (1 loaf): $2.00

• Granola (250g or ingredients to make at home, with oat flakes and nuts): $2.50

But as with any artificial intelligence, it’s not perfect. For example, the suggested grocery list included items with unrealistic prices. It told her to buy a 250-gram jar of honey for $2.50 — not in this economy. When she got to the store, the sweet stuff was really $6.49.

Red peppers were also listed for less in ChatGPT — she paid $2.64 instead of $1.50. A dozen eggs were $4.05, not $3.

On the other hand, some vegetables were less expensive than what AI had claimed.

The AI also gave her tips on how to save money at the store by reusing vegetables and spices in multiple recipes.

At the checkout, her total came to $101.12, just over one dollar than her $100 budget.

• READ MORE: Meal prepping to save money? A dietitian’s tips for meals that don’t suck

Roy-Brunet said she tried out the experiment a few times while shopping online as well and each time the total was always within a few dollars of the suggested amount.

Her conclusion: ChatGPT can be a useful tool for shopping on a budget, but it’s not without its drawbacks.

“You need to look at everything. It’s not perfect, but it’s working,” she said.

“So it’s a good guideline if you want to save some money on groceries.”